Adapting Your Corporate Signature Programs During Crises

We’ve witnessed the impact COVID-19 has had on our local communities and global economy, as well as how it has disproportionately affected some populations more than others. At the same time, we need to confront other systemic and racial issues. It’s important to do an internal and external assessment of how these challenges have directly affected your stakeholders. A good measure of program sustainability is the flexibility allowed during periods of social and economic change, and subsequently the extent to which your company can respond to urgent needs in a way that is aligned with its business and culture. Consider the following questions when assessing the flexibility of your program:

• Does your program have a minimum of 20% of its budget allocated for extraordinary circumstances?
• Do your program pillars have a justice or health lens?
• How often are you evaluating the purpose and success of your program?
• Are you staying true to your company values while making sure your programs reflect new demands and issues?
• Are your stakeholders satisfied with your response to the current crises?

Everyone has felt the impact of the challenges presented by the pandemic and recent events tied to racial justice at different levels and in different ways. Consider the following questions when assessing whether your company’s program is reflective of the community you serve:

• Who are your stakeholders – employees, consumers, nonprofit partners, community leaders?
• How are you qualifying nonprofits or community partners for engagement?
• Does your program attract diverse partners?
• Are you actively utilizing co-creation methods in your planning and evaluation?
• Who can you learn from that is well-informed on an issue (i.e. employee resource groups or otherwise that already exist)?
• What feedback loops have been built into your program?

Program planning, no matter how brilliant it is, is only viable if it can be carried out effectively and efficiently.

• Do you have the systems in place to accept grant applications from new prospective partners?
• Is your employee assistance platform ready to be activated at the onset of an emergency?
• Are you able to make international donations?
• Are you prepared to vet local and global charities effectively?
• Are you prepared to roll out our program across multiple offices and geographies?
• Do you have access to the necessary employee giving tools specific to your program?

As part of our Employee Engagement & Corporate Social Responsibility service offerings, Global Impact can help your company design, redesign or simply refresh your signature program. Together, we can help your team:

• Design your CSR program to align with your business purpose, involve your stakeholders and support your communities.
• Ensure your program is effective, compelling and aligned with your employees’ interests.
• Launch ready-made or custom disaster funds with turnkey technology, global distribution and charity vetting capabilities.
• Support employees experiencing personal hardship and leave the program administration to us.
• Leverage our staff’s expertise as your own to launch initiatives, run campaigns, and access technology platforms for global grantmaking and payroll giving.